Everything to know about Mississippi’s 2021 Sales Tax Holiday for back-to-school shopping
Many South Mississippians aren’t waiting until the state’s Sales Tax Holiday on July 30-31 to start back-to-school shopping, mall managers told the Sun Herald.
Last weekend saw double the normal traffic at Gulfport Premium Outlets, said General Manager Pam Meinzinger.
Already selling well are uniforms, shoes, backpacks and merchandise from Nike, Under Armor, Polo and Tommy Hilfinger and other brands, she said.
“Crocs is so hot,” she said. Celebrities are wearing the shoes, and she said kids are decorating them with studs. T
But store inventory isn’t as strong as in past years, Meinzinger said. Shoppers should buy when they see something they like or it may be gone, thanks to supply chain disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic.
Besides saving 7% on purchases during the tax-free holiday, she said, stores are featuring end-of-summer sales before they introduce new fall fashions.
“Tax-free is just a perfect storm for the parents,” Meinzinger said.
Early Child Tax Credit payments of $250 to $300 per child also went out earlier this month to help pad parents’ pocketbooks.
Edgewater Mall Manager Terry Powell reported crowds of shoppers last weekend as well, and said people may be trying to beat the back-to-school rush.
Those who shop at Edgewater Mall in Biloxi during the tax holiday can see the 75-ton sand sculpture being created as a salute to the military. It will be complete on July 23 and is on display in front of JCPenney, featuring the likenesses of two local service members, Powell said.
Here’s everything you need to know about the sales tax holiday this year:
When is Mississippi’s 2021 sales tax holiday?
This year’s tax holiday is July 30-31, when shoppers save the 7% state sales tax on qualifying purchases, such as clothing, shoes, tablets and pencils.
The tax holiday kicks off one minute after midnight on Friday, July 30 and ends at midnight on Saturday, July 31. School starts the next week in most districts on the Coast.
Does online shopping count?
The sales tax holiday also applies to orders placed online, by phone or by mail on that weekend only.
Biloxi, Gulfport mall hours
Edgewater Mall will be open regular hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., but Powell said the department stores will open earlier, some of them at 9 a.m.
Hours are extended at Gulfport Premium Outlets from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. both July 30 and 31.
What purchases qualify for MS sales tax holiday?
In addition to being on the qualifying list released by Mississippi Department of Revenue, each individual item must cost less than $100.
Parents will find a list of necessary school supplies on their children’s school website, or inside the larger stores.
These items qualify for the tax savings:
- Most school uniforms and regular pants, shirts, shoes and underwear priced under $100.
- Belts and scarves
- Scout uniforms
- School supplies like calculators, folders, glue, paint and textbooks
- Backpacks and lunch boxes
- Football jerseys
- Work uniforms
These items do not qualify:
- Items over $100
- Purses, jewelry and watches
- Tap dance shoes
- Rentals
- Sports helmets and shoulder pads
- Layaway sales
List of eligible tax-free school supplies in MS
- Backpacks
- Binder pockets
- Binders
- Blackboard chalk
- Book bags
- Calculators
- Cellophane tape
- Clays and glazes
- Compasses
- Composition books
- Crayons
- Dictionaries and thesauruses
- Dividers
- Erasers
- Folders: expandable, pocket, plastic and manila
- Glue, paste and paste sticks
- Highlighters
- Index card boxes
- Index cards
- Legal pads
- Lunch boxes
- Markers
- Notebooks
- Paintbrushes for artwork
- Paints: acrylic, tempera and oil
- Paper: loose-leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board and construction paper
- Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
- Pencil sharpeners
- Pencils
- Pens
- Protractors
- Reference books
- Reference maps and globes
- Rulers
- Scissors
- Sheet music
- Sketch and drawing pads
- Textbooks
- Watercolors
- Workbooks
- Writing tablets
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
